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What is PLA?

PLA stands for polylactic acid, a bio-based plastic material made from plants instead of oil. It is one of the most popular bioplastics in the world, and is widely used in applications such as food packaging, foodware, biomedical devices and more.

One of the major advantages of PLA is it’s biodegradable nature and the sustainable process by which it is made. That makes it one of the friendliest plastics to the environment there is! Disposal of PLA at an industrial compost facility means PLA will break down into its natural elements in less than a month. This is in stark contrast to the centuries it takes for traditional plastics to decompose. PLA is especially suitable in short-lifespan applications such as in water bottles and food containers.

How is PLA Made?

PLA is a polymer made up of small lactic acid units. Lactic acid is an organic acid that plays an important role in our daily lives. The pain in your muscles when you overwork yourself and the taste of sour milk are some familiar examples of lactic acid at work. Anything with glucose can be turned into lactic acid. But the ideal source of glucose in the environmental plastics industry is corn.

What is the difference between regular plastic and PLA?

Regular plastic is made from petroleum - an environmental pollutant and toxic chemical. PLA, on the other hand, is from derived from corn-based resin, which is a non-toxic and renewable resource. And while regular plastic takes approximately 400 years to degrade, leaving toxicity in the environment, PLA plastic can break down harmlessly in an industrial compost facility in as little as 60 days. Regular plastic contributes to landfill and environmental degradation while PLA can be harmlessly returned to earth!

What is environmental impact of using biopalstics?

The production and use of PLA, Bioplastics is generally considered as a more sustainable activity compared to petroleum-based plastic production because it relies less on fossil fuel as an energy source for production. PLA also introduces less greenhouse gas emissions into the environment when it biodegrades and significantly reduces hazardous waste.